Siena commit Christian Bentley discusses college choice
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. » Siena likely rounded out its incoming class on Friday evening when point guard Christian Bentley verbally committed to the Class of 2017.
Bentley is from Toronto, Canada, but has played the last two seasons for First Love Christian Academy in Pennsylvania. His high school teammate Prince Oduro has already signed his Letter of Intent to come to Siena.
Bentley is another in stockpiled class of guards. Roman Penn will be eligible as a freshman this season after joining the program mid-season in January. Siena also added Jordan Horn, a point guard from Minnesota and Manny Camper a guard/forward combo player.
“I’m very versatile,” Bentley told The Record on Saturday. “I can play the one or the two. Whatever Coach Patsos needs me to do, I’m going to come in and try to do.” The only non-guard in the class is Oduro. And Siena coming off a season in which it graduated three forwards in Brett Bisping, Javion Ogunyemi and Lavon Long. Forward Willem Brandwijk also transferred after the season ended.
Bentley will sign a Letter of Intent when he visits the school for the first time in a couple of weeks.
Bentley hadn’t received any other Division I offers, aside from Siena. He said he had interest from Binghamton, Virginia Military Academy and Appalachian State, but didn’t receive any offers. He said Siena first noticed him while recruiting Oduro.
Before Bentley committed, he reached out to the coaching staff. His main recruiter had been assistant Greg Manning, but he’d met Patsos a couple times.
“A coach with a personality, that’s what I’ve grown up on,” Bentley said. “My high school coach had a great personality. That’s also what I was looking for in my decision. A good coach with personality. I like the way he is.”
Bentley will have to compete for minutes in a crowded backcourt. Siena was in need of a true point guard at times last season. So that could be a reason why they stockpiled them in this class. Bentley, Horn, Camper and Penn join a crop of guards that include Kadeem Smithem, Nico Clareth, Khalil Richard and Ashante Shivers. Penn, Clareth and Shivers will likely be the starting crop of guard players.
For Bentley, it’s just exciting to be a part of a Division I program. Who he has to compete with and what his exact role will be are secondary to just accomplishing something he set out long ago to do.
“It feels great,” Bentley said. “Two years I set a goal when I went from Canada to America to play high school basketball. To finally know that my goal is done, it feels amazing.”